Pasteurization of milk and other liquids



y 1934. A. G. ENOCK PASTEURIZATION OF MILK AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Oct.14. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 31, 1934- A. G, ENOCK 1,968,751

PASTEURIZATION OF MILK AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 14, 1931 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR VLFO/Z 7 dowwm Juiy 31, 1934.

A. G. ENOCK 1,968,751

PASTEEURIZATION 0F MILK AND OTHER- LIQU-I-1 Filed Oct. 14, 1.9961 4snts-sneet s y 1934. A. G. ENOCK 1,968,751

PASTEURIZATION 0F MILK AND OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Oct. 14, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR was Patented July 31, 1934 PASTEURIZATION 0]?MILK AND OTHER i LIQUIDS 7 i V Arthur Guy Enock, Wembley l ark, England,as-

signor to Auto Dairy Pioneers Limited, London,

England Application October 14, 1931,SerialN0. 568,836 In Great BritainNovember 4,1930

4 Claims. (Cl. 12627 2) This invention relates to the pasteurizationi-and cooling of .milk and other liquids in bottles 1.011 containerswhich are closed by a disc or lightly attached cap. around'which air canslows 5.35 ly. percolate. g

= It is found that in pasteurizing the best results are obtained bygradually or slowly cooling the milk and such gradual cooling has theaadded advantage in disc. closed or lightly capped 1331 bottles that thespace or partial vacuum formed by the contraction of the contents of thebottle isvery gradually filled up with air which slowly .leaks, past thedimer cap without displacing "or disturbing such disc or cap. 7

Pasteu rizing in this type of bottle has been carried. out successfullyin apparatus in which rthe bottle is not wholly submerged in theheatiing gor cooling liquid but the mouth is maintained above the levelof the liquid through @520 which it passes.

.I n otherknown types of apparatus in which the. bottles, or containersare traversed either vertically orv horizontally submerged through.l-liquid-cooling linedium ithas been proposed to carry thebottles incages or carriers attached to endless conveyor chains each cage beingfitted "with -a,cap or sealing member shaped to confor m.-to. the neckof the bottle and the disc therein forming a liquid tight and air tightseal. :An air tight seal over the mcuthoi th'e bottle ..during coolingof the contents results in a paritial vacuum under the disc and when theseal isremoved-and the disc exposed to air pressure it is .liable tobecome displaced or bulged inwards becoming too loose to serve as anefficient .-.cover or protector.

If. Theob'ject offthe invention is to provide means for graduallyadmitting air past the disc ing orcooling liquid and at the same timeprotecting the disc fromcontact with the liquid.

According to theiinvention the disc or cap fend preferably. also themouth of. the bottle are [enclosed-by an air bell orfchamber from whichair imprisoned therein during the pasteurization can slowly leak pastthe disc or cap into ,in-. -the heating or cooling liquidj'lheinvention-iurther comprises air bells or .coverstor-enclosing thebottle mouths and suspending the-bottles irom endless chain convey-:ors, and apparatus for automatically placing -the bottles inanddelivering the bottles vfrom :ithe air bells; i i

The invention will be fully described 'with reference tothe-accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 isaalongitudinal sectional elevation .of single bottle ipasteurizing pnandcooling iplant showing the invention -.appliedthereto.

Fig. 2 is .a. frontelevation'b'emg the feeding 0 and delivering end ofsame.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalselevation'of a modified plant showingtherinventionandapparatus for feeding the bottles thereto anddischarging them therefrom.

Figs. 4 and 5 are: sectional elevation and plan from below of an airbellzor bottle carrier such as shown :in Figsl and 2. i

Figs. .6, 7 :andi8 are sectional elevations and sectional plan of :abottle ;carrier and-air bell such asshown. in Fig. 3.

Figs. 9 to 13 show various forms of'air :bells for suspending andfcarrying;the bottles.

Figswl i, 15and.-i16'are sectional elevations and a plan. of :an 'airibell for suspendingand 76 carryingia number ofibottles."

Figs. 17 and 18 are sectional elevation and: plan of "8,11 bell appliedto aerate of bottles.

Figs. 19 and 20 are sectionalelevationsshow- .ingairibell'jforsuspending: and carrying a group so of cratescontainingbottles.

The mouth of abottle A is covered by a bell B of sufiicient size tocontainxandyimprison air-in .a chamber b above and around the-sealingdisc a or is covered bya cap D heldagainstthe bottle mouth,. an airchamber dj extending above the sealing disc-wand admitting air freely:toth'e edgesfofithe disc. The bell B or capD may be appliedindividually to single bottles 'A contained -in crates orxotherwise.carriedwsin groups'or they maybe. suspended from endless'conveyor chains"G asishown in -Figsl to .3 and act as carriersfor :the bottlessuspended therefrom. whiletheibottle is. wholly submerged in: a heat---that will extend. down over the shoulderof .the bottle A and.preferablyxifiaring around the edge.

It is fitted internally. with three, 'four" or J'more springiclips badapted to clip around the neck -of the bottle h whenainserted thereinwith sufficient tightness: to hold the bottle: suspended. theibottlewhile the bottle. is wholly submerged extend-down over theshoulder of the bottle A.

A bottle carrier E is loosely'fitted within the bell B fitted internallywith three, four or more spring clips b adapted to-clip -aroundthe neckof the bottle A with sufli'cient" tightness to hold thebottlersuspendedi:Thespring clips b while they grip the: bottle A :as shownalso retainthe .low the shoulders of the bottles therein. ,fitted with cratesuspending appliances I-I operated by toggle levers h. When the bell isplaced bell B in position over the bottle mouth. By raising the bell Brelative to the carrier by a jerk or otherwise above the end of thespring clips b the springs expand and release the bottle allowing it todrop out. The carriers E are mounted on transverse rods e carried byendless conveyor chains G as shown in Fig. 3.

In the form shown in Fig. 9 the bell B is of cylindrical or conical formof a length that will extend down over the shoulder of the bottle A. Itis fitted internally with three, four or more spring clips 12 attachedto a centrally downwardly projecting member 21 adapted to clip aroundthe neck of the bottle A when inserted therein with sumcient tightnessto hold the bottle suspended.

The member I) also carries a plunger b with a disc I) disposed betweenthe springs, when the bottle is in the pendant position the disc b isslightly above the bottle mouth. The bottle is released by pushing .itand the plunger b and disc b upwards to the full extent which movementcauses the disc b to spread the spring clips 12 and release the bottle,the plunger 2) being made a tight fit in the member b the disc b onlyreturns slowly to its place after the bottle has been removed.

In the form shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the bell B is of slightly taperingform and of a length to extend to the bottom of the bottle. The sidesbelow the air chamber 1) are flexible and the cross section at the lowerpart is oval so that when it is squeezed to a round shape by the plates1),

the bottle may be put in the bell and when pres sure from plates 12 isremoved the bell resumes its oval shape and the lower edge p holds thebottle inplace.

In the form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the bell B is of cylindrical formof a length that will extend to the bottom of the bottle. It is fittedat the bottom with a transverse bar or plate b which may be hinged orpivoted to hold the bottle in place. The sides of the bell B maybe'perforated below the air chamberb.

In the form shown in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 a bell 13 similar inprincipletothat previously described is fitted over a rack'or pair ofgrid bars B" to cover or enclose a number of bottles; The bottlesA aresuspended by their necks between the two bars of the rack and the belland rack are pivoted by their ends by a transverse bar g or link pinsbetween. two endless conveyor chains G. The bars may be indented tolocate the bottles at definite distances apart.

In the form shown in Figs. 17 and 18 the invention is shown applied to acrate of bottles. A cover B of asize to fit over and. attach tothe crateF is formed with a number of bells B one for each bottle which extenddown .to the shoulder of the bottle each havingan air chamber 12 In theform shown in Figs. 19 and 20. the invention is shown as applied to andforming a carrier for a group of crates containing. bottles. The bell Bis of a size and shape to cover three (or other number of) crates. andto extend down be- It is over the crate thetoggle levers h are in thedotted inclined position and the catches 71. are moved into engagementwith the hand holes or other apertures in the sidesof the crates by adownward movement of the rods h acting on the toggles h. The bells B aresuspended fromv the conveyor chains G by the side. cheeks g theirmouths.

Referring again to Figs. 1 to 13 and Figs. 14 to 20 when the bottles arewholly submerged in liquid while in an upright position the air enclosedin the air chamber 27 within the bell B is compressed and prevents theliquid reaching or coming into contact with the bottle mouth or with thesealing disc a therein. The bottles are suspended on the endlessconveyor G and passed through a heating chamber R and then through thecooling chamber R as shown in Figs. 1 or 3. As the cooling of the milkor liquid in the bottle A gradually takes place and the contentscontract forming a partial vacuum in the bottle neck the air in thechamber b is slowly drawn in around the edges of the disc a withoutdisplacing or distorting the disc.

A further advantage arises in that air admitted to the bottle from theair chamber in the bell or cover has been sterilized whilst submerged inthe heating liquid during the process and no germ laden air is admittedto the bottle.

Referring again to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the bells B are shown suspended fromendless conveyor chains G by transverse rods g upon which any number ofthe bells B may be pivoted according to the width of the machine. Thebottles A may be fed into the bells B singly by hand as in Fig. 1 orthey may be fed in automatically as in Fig. 3 the bottles being fedforward on a conveyor K and the bells B descending over their mouths.The bottles A may be removed from the bells B singly by hand or they maybe removed automatically as in Fig. 1 by a rocking bar M which tilts thebottles to one side and a second rocking bar M which tilts the bell Bback in the reverse direc tion thus dislodging the bottle. The bottle Bso released slides down on to a carrier or pad m on an oscillating rod mwhich swings forward and pushes it on to the delivery conveyor m In Fig.8 the types of hell 13 shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are shown the carriersE being supported by the transverse rods 6. The bottles are fed into thecarriers and the bells B automatically by the conveyor K and thecarriers descending over The carriers E and bells B are pressed downupon the bottles A until they are held by the internal spring clips b Atthe delivery end the bottles as they emerge are suspended clear of theconveyor K and the bell B is jerked or slightly raised by hook Noperated by a cam or eccentric N which engages a hook or projection onthe top of the bell. This action enables the spring clips to spreadapart and releases the bottle which drops upon the conveyor K As eachbell and carrier comes round to the feed end of the machine the bell Bis pressed down to its original position on the carrier E leaving ghespring clips b in position to pick up another ottle.

The covers D may be suspended from the conveyor chains G in a similarmanner and the bottles fed in and discharged by hand or automatically.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protest by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for pasteurizing milk and other liquids in bottlescomprising heating and cooling chambers through which the bottles aretraversed, an endless chain conveyor traversing the chambers, aplurality of'bell shaped covers each pro' vided with an air chamber toenclose a bottle mouth and imprison air during immersion and a pluralityof transverse bars carried by the conveyer chains upon which the bellcovers are mounted.

2. Apparatus for pasteurizing milk and other liquids in bottlescomprising heating and cooling chambers through which the bottles aretraversed, an endless chain conveyor traversing the chambers, a.plurality of bell shaped covers each provided with an air chamber toenclose a bottle mouth and imprison air during immersion, a plurality oftransverse bars carried by the conveyer chains upon which the bellcovers are mounted, means to engage the bottles with, and means toremove them from, the bell shaped covers.

3. Apparatus for pasteurizing milk or other liquids in bottlescomprising heating and cooling chambers through which the bottles aretraversed, an endless chain conveyor traversing the chambers, aplurality of bell shaped covers each proand means for attaching the bellshaped covers to the transverse bars.

4. Apparatus for pasteurizing milk or other liquids in bottlescomprising heating and cooling chambers through which the bottles aretraversed, an endless chain conveyor traversing the chambers, aplurality of bell shaped covers each provided with an air chamberto-enclose the bottle mouths, spring clips by which the bottles areattached to the bell shaped covers, a plurality of transverse barscarried by the conveyer chains, means for attaching the bell shapedcovers to the transverse bars, a second conveyor to bring the bottles tothe chain conveyor at the feed end of the apparatus, cam operatedmechanism at the delivery end of the apparatus to release the bellshaped covers from the bottles and a delivery conveyor to remove thebottles from the apparatus.

ARTHUR GUY ENOCK.

